Kettle drum



0ct. 18, 1966 O. MURBACH 3,279,299

KETTLE DRUM Filed OCb. l5. 1965 United States Patent O 3,279,299 KETTLEDRUM Oskar Murbach, 8 Sternegg, 6000, Lucerne, Switzerland Filed Oct.15, 1965, Ser. No. 496,298 Claims priority, application Switzerland,Nov. 4, 1964,

6 Claims. (Cl. 84-419) The present invention relates to a kettle drumhaving a tension regulator for the skin of the drum to be operated by apedal lever, in which the tensioning ring for the lskin is connected bymeans of tension rods with a spider arranged underneath the kettle onthe pedestal of the kettle drum.

Kettle drums of this kind, so-called pedal drums, are known, in whichthe spider is axially adjustable by means of the pedal relative to thekettle. Thereby the tensioning ring holding the skin on its periphery isadjusted relative to the edge of the kettle, thus varying the tuning ofthe kettle drum.

On the other hand kettle drums without a tuning pedal are known, whichlikewise comprise a spider connected with the tensioning ring by meansof tension rods. In these so-called rotary drums the tensioning ring ismounted on a screw-thread of a column connected with the pedestal. Thetuning of the kettle drum is here effected exclusively by turning thekettle.

Both these types of kettle drums have advantages and disadvantages. Thepedal drums allow a quick adjustment of the pitch of the tone. However,since the pedal has been adjustable hitherto step-wise only by means ofa toothed segment, the pitch of the tone had to be subsequently finelyadjusted by means of an additional adjustment screw operated by a handwheel. Moreover the actuating of the pedal required in general aconsiderable effort, Isince forces exceeding even 90() kg. had to beapplied. The pedal mechanism was also complicated, heavy and unsightly.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a kettledrum which combines the advantages of the known rotary drums with thoseof the known pedal drums, while obviating their disadvantages. It isanother object of the invention toprovide a structurally simple andefficient pedal mechanism of good appearance, whose actuation requires avery small effort only.

With these and other yobjects in View which will become apparent laterfrom this specification and the accompanying drawings, I provide akettle drum comprising in combination: a pedestal, a column rigidlyconnected with said pedestal, a screw-threaded spindle integral withsaid solumn, a spider rotatably in screw connection with saidscrew-threaded spindle, a central rod arranged axially slidable in saidcolumn, a kettle mounted rotatably but restrained axially on saidcentral rod, and having a free circumferential upper edge, a drum skinstretched over said circumferential upper edge, a tensioning ring inoperation tightening said skin over said circumferential upper edge,tension rods connecting the outer ends of said spider with saidtensioning ring, a recess being provided in said column, and a pedallever extending into said recess and operatively engaging both saidcolumn and central rod, and when actuated axially moving said centralrod and kettle mounted thereon relative to said column carrying saidspider tension rods and tensioning ring, and thus varying -the tensionof said drum skin.

These 4and other features of my said invention will be clearlyunderstood from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof given by way of example with reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of a kettle drum according to theinvention, and

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FIG. 2 is a fragmentary View looking inthe direction A in FIG. 1.

Gn a pedestal 1 a vertical column 2 is rigidly attached. On the latter ascrew thread 3 is provided on which a spider 4 is mounted at whose outerends tension rods 5 are attached. The upper ends of these tension rods 5are .attached in the usual manner on a tensioning ring 30, by means ofwhich the skin of the drum is retained by being coiled up at the edge.Within the tensioning ring 30 the skin rests on the upper edge of thekettle. The kettle 6 rests, by means of a shell 7 serving as areinforcement of the bottom and of a ball bearing 8, on a collar 9,which is rigidly arranged on a rod 10 mounted slidably in the axialdirection in a bore of the column 2.

For varying the pitch of the tone of the drum, the kettle 6 togetherwith the spider 4 and tension rods 5 may be turned about the column 2.The spider is thereby shifted axially relative to the kettle 6, wherebythe tension of Ithe skin is varied.

In the column 2 a longitudinal slot 11 is provided which extends overits entire length. vThe inne-r end of a pedal lever 12 engages in thisslot. This end has a protruding knife edge 13 serving as a fulcrum andengaging in a wedge-shaped recess 14 at the lower end of the slot 11.The lever 12 has also a wedge-shaped recess 15, in which engages a knifeedge serving as a fulcrum of an insert piece 17. This insert 17 has inturn a wedge-shaped recess 18 of the rod 10 in which engages a knifeedge 19, serving as a fulcrum. The insert 17 is thus kept formclosedbetween the rod 10 and the lever 12. A shoulder 12b of the lever 12serves as an abutment for the insert 17, when the latter is in itsuppermost position. The arrangement described constitutes a togglelever, one of whose lever arms is formed by the part of the pedal lever12 that reaches into the slot 11, while the insert piece 17 forms theother lever arm. The lateral guidance of the lever 12 and insert 17 iseffected by the side faces of the slot 11. The whole toggle lever systemis arranged practically within the column 2 and almost invisible fromoutside. It does not require any servicing and is practically free fromwear. By the toggle lever action as great mechanical advantage isattained between the pedal lever 12 and the rod 10, so tha-t the eifortrequired for the actuation of the pedal lever 12 is only small.

The outer end 12a of the pedal lever 12 is forked, and a pedal plate 39is mounted thereon pivotally about a pivot pin 20. At the inner end ofthe pedal plate 39 an arm 40 is attached which is connected by a pivotpin 21 with a clamping lever 22, which in turn is pivotally mounted onthe lever end 12a by means of a pivot pin 23. Moreover a transverse pin24 is rigidly mounted on the lever portion 12a. Between the transversepin 24 and the clamping lever 22 there protrudes a substantiallyvertical tongue 25 which is pivotally mounted on the pedestal 1 by meansof a pin 26.

The arrangement just described constitutes a clamping safety catch. Thesame allows to arrest the pedal lever 12 which under the preloading ofthe skin always tends to move to its uppermost position, steplesslywithin the whole range of its angular path in any position desired. Byturning the pedal plate 39 in the direction B the clamping lever 22 ispressed against the tongue 25. Thereby the pedal lever 12 is arrested bythe friction between the components 24 and 22 0f the one part, and thetongue 25 of the other part. By turning the pedal plate 39 in thedirection C the clamping effect is abolished, and the pedal lever 12 canbe turned into a different position. That part of the clamping lever 22,which contacts the tongue 2S, may be provided with a sound-deadening andfriction-increasing coating such as rubber, synthetic substances orleather.

When the pedal lever is turned e. g. downwards, the rod is movedupwardly. Thereby the shell 7 with the kettle 6 is raised relative tothe spider 4. The edge of the kettle thereby presses more Strongly onthe skin, whereby the tension thereof and thus the pitch of the tone isheightened. The tuning of the drum may accordingly be varied by turningthe kettle as Well as by actuating the pedal lever 12. While I havedescribed hereinabove and illustrated in the accompanying drawings whatmay be considered a typical and particularly useful embodiment of mysaid invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself tothe particular details and dimensions described and illustrated; forobvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A kettle drum comprising in combination: a pedestal, a column rigidlyconnected to said pedestal, screw threads on said column, a screwthreaded spider rotatably mounted in screw connection with said screwthreads on said column, a central rod arranged axially slidable in saidcolumn, a kettle mounted rotatably but restrained axially on saidcentral rod and having a free circumferential upper edge, a drum skinstretched over said circumferential upper edge, a tensioning ringoperative to tighten said skin over said circumferential upper edge,tension rods connecting said spider with said tensioning ring, a slotbeing provided in said column, an insert piece in said recess engagingsaid central rod, a pedal lever extending into said slot and operativelyengaging both said column and said insert piece, said pedal lever whenactuated effecting movement of said insert piece and thereby axiallymoving said central rod and kettle mounted thereon relative to saidcolumn carrying said spider, tension rods and tensioning ring, and thusvarying the tension of said drum skin.

2. A kettle drum in .accordance with claim 1, wherein `said insert pieceis held in position positively by means of said pedal lever and saidcentral rod.

3. A kettle drum in accordance with claim 2, wherein said pedal lever isprovided with a wedge-shaped recess and said central rod is providedwith an edge, and Wherein said insert piece is provided with an edge anda recess for engaging the recess in said pedal lever and the edge ofsaid central rod, respectively.

4. A kettle drum in accordance with claim 3, wherein said pedal lever isprovided with an edge'which is journalled in a recess in said column.

5. A kettle drum in accordance with claim 4, wherein Said slot islongitudinal and the side walls thereof de- .tine lateral guides forsaid insert piece and said pedal lever.

6. A kettle drum in accordance with claim 1, comprising a tongue mountedon said pedestal and adapted to engage a projection on said pedal lever,a treadle pivotably mounted on said pedal lever, a clamping leverpivotably mounted on said pedal lever and adapted to engage said tongue,and means for pivotably connecting said treadle to said clamping lever,whereby upon movement of said treadle said clamping lever wedges saidtongue against said projection on said pedal lever to arrest movement ofsaid pedal lever caused by preloading of said drum skin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,282,406 10/1918Gardner 84-419 1,312,771 S/1919 Vogeler 84v-419 1,775,569 4/1930 strupe84-419 1,916,123 6/1933 Greemeaf srt-419 2,074,194 3/1937 strupe 84-419FOREIGN PATENTS 15,199 10/1881 Germany.

49,783 11/1889 Germany.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS J. CAPO'ZI, Examiner.

C. M. OVERBEY, Assistant Examiner.

1. A KETTLE DRUM COMPRISING. IN COMBINATION: A PEDESTAL, A COLUMNRIGIDLY CONNECTED TO SAID PEDESTAL, SCREW THREADS ON SAID COLUMN, ASCREW THREADED SPIDER ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SCREW CONNECTION WITH SAIDSCREW THREADS ON SAID COLUMN, A CENTRAL ROD ARRANGED AXIALLY SLIDABLE INSAID COLUMN, A KETTLE MOUNTED ROTATABLY BUT RESTRAINED AXIALLY ON SAIDCENTRAL ROD AND HAVING A FREE CIRCUMFERENTIAL UPPER EDGE, A DRUM SKINSTRETCHED OVER SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL UPPER EDGE, A TENSIONING RINGOPERATIVE TO TIGHTEN SAID SKIN OVER SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL UPPER EDGE,TENSION RODS CONNECTING SAID SPIDER WITH SAID TENSIONING RING, A SLOTBEING PROVIDED IN SAID COLUMN, AN INSERT PIECE IN SAID RECESS ENGAGINGSAID CENTRAL ROD, A PEDAL LEVER EXTENDING INTO SAID SLOT AND OPERATIVELYENGAGING BOTH SAID COLUMN AND SAID INSERT PIECE, SAID PEDAL LEVER WHENACTUATED EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF SAID INSERT PIECE AND THEREBY AXIALLYMOVING SAID CENTRAL ROD AND KETTLE MOUNTED